An Engineer’s View of Hair Cell Function: A Theory of Capacitive Transduction
Author(s)
Michelangelo Rossetto
ABSTRACT
Using an engineering perspective which is looking at the hair cells cilia as a total entity interacting with its neighboring cilia along their entire length, a theory of capacitive transduction is developed. This larger scaled view of cilia interaction suggests that transduction may be achieved through a mechanically controlled variable capacitor in the cilia bundle. A brief review of some seldom considered facts about electrical capacitors supports the hypothesis presented. Experimental measurements of hair cell reversal potential and ionic conditions surrounding the cilia during transduction, long reported in the biophysical literature, also support a capacitive hypothesis of transduction.
Using an engineering perspective which is looking at the hair cells cilia as a total entity interacting with its neighboring cilia along their entire length, a theory of capacitive transduction is developed. This larger scaled view of cilia interaction suggests that transduction may be achieved through a mechanically controlled variable capacitor in the cilia bundle. A brief review of some seldom considered facts about electrical capacitors supports the hypothesis presented. Experimental measurements of hair cell reversal potential and ionic conditions surrounding the cilia during transduction, long reported in the biophysical literature, also support a capacitive hypothesis of transduction.
Cite this paper
Rossetto, M. (2015) An Engineer’s View of Hair Cell Function: A Theory of Capacitive Transduction. Natural Science, 7, 158-164. doi: 10.4236/ns.2015.73018.
Rossetto, M. (2015) An Engineer’s View of Hair Cell Function: A Theory of Capacitive Transduction. Natural Science, 7, 158-164. doi: 10.4236/ns.2015.73018.
References
[1] Hudspeth, A.J., Choe, Y., Mehta, A.D. and Martin, P. (2000) Putting Ion Channels to Work: Mechanoelectrical Transduction, Adaptation and Amplification by Hair Cells. Proceedings of the National Academy Science of the United States of America, 97, 11765-11772.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.97.22.11765 [2] Rossetto, M. (2013) Falsification of the Ionic Channel Theory of Hair Cell Transduction. Communicative Integrative Biology, 6, Article ID: e26763. [3] Hille, B. (1992) Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes. Sinaur Press, Sunderland Mass. [4] Corey, D.P. and Hudspth, A.J. (1979) Ionic Basis of the Receptor Potential in a Vertebrate Hair Cell. Nature, 381, 675-677.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/281675a0 [5] Holton, T. and Hudspth, A.J. (1986) The Transduction Channel of Hair Cells from the Bull Frog Characterized by Noise Analysis. Journal of Physics, 375, 195-227. [6] Tzu, L. (1963) Tao Te Ching. Penguin Putnam, New York, Xvi.
[1] Hudspeth, A.J., Choe, Y., Mehta, A.D. and Martin, P. (2000) Putting Ion Channels to Work: Mechanoelectrical Transduction, Adaptation and Amplification by Hair Cells. Proceedings of the National Academy Science of the United States of America, 97, 11765-11772.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.97.22.11765 [2] Rossetto, M. (2013) Falsification of the Ionic Channel Theory of Hair Cell Transduction. Communicative Integrative Biology, 6, Article ID: e26763. [3] Hille, B. (1992) Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes. Sinaur Press, Sunderland Mass. [4] Corey, D.P. and Hudspth, A.J. (1979) Ionic Basis of the Receptor Potential in a Vertebrate Hair Cell. Nature, 381, 675-677.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/281675a0 [5] Holton, T. and Hudspth, A.J. (1986) The Transduction Channel of Hair Cells from the Bull Frog Characterized by Noise Analysis. Journal of Physics, 375, 195-227. [6] Tzu, L. (1963) Tao Te Ching. Penguin Putnam, New York, Xvi.